Gunilla Bielke
Encyclopedia
Gunilla Bielke; full name: Gunilla Johansdotter Bielke (25 June 1568–1597), was Queen of Sweden, the second spouse and queen consort
of king John III of Sweden
. She was a politically influential queen.
, Johan Axelsson Bielke, and had been raised at the royal court since she was ten years old as a playmate of the king's daughter, Princess Anna
. In 1582, she was made lady-in-waiting
to the queen. Just like two of the previous queens, Margareta Leijonhufvud and Katarina Stenbock
, she was engaged when the king decided to marry her, and initially refused the king's proposal; the king was so enraged by this that he slapped her in the face with his gloves. But her family forced her to agree, the engagement was broken, and she was married to the king in 1585, to the rage of the king's sisters, who considered it a misalliance despite the fact that their own mother was also a noblewoman; the king's brothers and sisters all refused to attend.
She was given a very large allowance and is regarded as one of the richest of the queens of Sweden. Queen Gunilla had a significant influence on the ageing king; she is credited with having influenced him in Protestantism
the same way his former Queen, Catherine Jagiellon
, had influenced him in Catholicism
, and on several occasions, the king openly admitted to having changed his opinion and his decisions "for the sake of our mistress the dear Queen's wishes". In 1590, her husband freed a group of political prisoners, members of the parliament, on her request.
, of staying in the capital as the only royal representative to steal from the Royal Castle's belongings. She was also accused by King Sigismund
's wife Anna of Austria of having stripped the Castle when the new King and Queen arrived from Poland in 1593. The two Queens hated each other for religious reasons, but Gunilla refused to leave Stockholm before she had secured her inheritance. She was given some of it and then retired to Bråborg Castle
, where she remained for the four years until her death. She was interred in Uppsala Cathedral
.
Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of king John III of Sweden
John III of Sweden
-Family:John married his first wife, Catherine Jagellonica of Poland , house of Jagiello, in Vilnius on 4 October 1562. In Sweden, she is known as Katarina Jagellonica. She was the sister of king Sigismund II Augustus of Poland...
. She was a politically influential queen.
Early life
Gunilla Bielke was the daughter of the king's cousin, the former governor of ÖstergötlandÖstergötland
Östergötland, English exonym: East Gothland, is one of the traditional provinces of Sweden in the south of Sweden. It borders Småland, Västergötland, Närke, Södermanland, and the Baltic Sea. In older English literature, one might also encounter the Latinized version, Ostrogothia...
, Johan Axelsson Bielke, and had been raised at the royal court since she was ten years old as a playmate of the king's daughter, Princess Anna
Anna of Finland
Anna Vasa or Anna of Sweden also Anne was a Swedish princess. She was the sister of the monarch of Poland, Sweden and Lithuania, Sigismund III Vasa, and starosta of Brodnica and Golub.-Biography:...
. In 1582, she was made lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to the queen. Just like two of the previous queens, Margareta Leijonhufvud and Katarina Stenbock
Katarina Stenbock
Catherine Stenbock was the third and last consort of King Gustav I of Sweden, and Queen consort of Sweden between 1552 and 1560...
, she was engaged when the king decided to marry her, and initially refused the king's proposal; the king was so enraged by this that he slapped her in the face with his gloves. But her family forced her to agree, the engagement was broken, and she was married to the king in 1585, to the rage of the king's sisters, who considered it a misalliance despite the fact that their own mother was also a noblewoman; the king's brothers and sisters all refused to attend.
Queen
Bielke was a very beautiful, blond girl at the time of her marriage, (no portrait is said to have done her justice) and apparently, the king married her mainly due to sexual attraction and as a remedy for depression in old age, caused by the death of his first wife. These were the reasons he himself told the government and, when asked why he did not marry a princess, he told them he wished to have a beautiful wife and that portraits of foreign princesses were not to be trusted.She was given a very large allowance and is regarded as one of the richest of the queens of Sweden. Queen Gunilla had a significant influence on the ageing king; she is credited with having influenced him in Protestantism
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
the same way his former Queen, Catherine Jagiellon
Catherine Jagiellon
Catherine the Jagiellonian of Poland was Duchess of Finland , Queen Consort of Sweden , Grand Princess of Finland and heir to her mother's claim to the title of King of Jerusalem....
, had influenced him in Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
, and on several occasions, the king openly admitted to having changed his opinion and his decisions "for the sake of our mistress the dear Queen's wishes". In 1590, her husband freed a group of political prisoners, members of the parliament, on her request.
Queen Dowager
After the king's death she remained at the Castle in Stockholm, prepared to fight for an inheritance for herself and her son. She was accused by her brother-in-law, the future Charles IX of SwedenCharles IX of Sweden
Charles IX of Sweden also Carl, was King of Sweden from 1604 until his death. He was the youngest son of King Gustav I of Sweden and his second wife, Margaret Leijonhufvud, brother of Eric XIV and John III of Sweden, and uncle of Sigismund III Vasa king of both Sweden and Poland...
, of staying in the capital as the only royal representative to steal from the Royal Castle's belongings. She was also accused by King Sigismund
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
's wife Anna of Austria of having stripped the Castle when the new King and Queen arrived from Poland in 1593. The two Queens hated each other for religious reasons, but Gunilla refused to leave Stockholm before she had secured her inheritance. She was given some of it and then retired to Bråborg Castle
Bråborg Castle
Bråborg was a former Royal castle at Bråviken, Norrköping Municipality in Östergötland, Sweden. Today, a ruin is all that remain of the estate.- History :...
, where she remained for the four years until her death. She was interred in Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral
Uppsala Cathedral is a cathedral located centrally in the city of Uppsala, Sweden. It dates back to the late 13th century and at a height of 118.7 m is the tallest church building in Scandinavia. Originally built under Roman Catholicism and used for coronations of the Swedish monarch, since the...
.